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He said: “When I noticed my car in the ditch I was very scared. When the shock kicked in, I just wanted to sleep, which is always very worrying.

“Luckily, I had two Samaritans who helped me out before emergency services arrived to pull me from my car.

“When the fire crews and ambulances arrived, they noticed my sack and my Santa robe in the back seat of my car – they couldn’t quite believe that it was Father Christmas they were helping at the time.

Gideon Oldewinter (Image: Oldewinter)

“I went back to the scene of the crash the following day and I noticed that I was just metres away from smashing into a telegraph pole. It could have been a lot worse – but thankfully the emergency services were just wonderful from start to finish.

“It was a bitterly cold night to be sitting in a car for more than two hours, but I am used to cold – I 'live' in Lapland for goodness sake!”

Later on in the week, Mr Edmondston posted on Facebook appealing for the two women to come forward so he could pass on his thanks to them.

He has since found the two women who he hopes to see before Christmas Day.